Sleepwalking Senel
by CrypticGirl
Summary: The party learns what happens when Senel doesn't get enough sleep. Rating kicked up to T for violence. Chapter 3 added 09.07.06.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Tales of Legendia and all its characters and places contained herein belong to Namco.

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It was fairly late in the morning in Werites Beacon. Senel Coolidge lay in his bed, struggling to get to sleep. He sat up and rubbed his head.

"Ugh...what a night," he said to himself. "I hardly slept at all last night. Instead, I ended up reading Aifread the Pirate comics..."

He picked up a comic book from the floor, then lay back in bed and began reading it. However, that didn't last very long as his eyelids were still feeling heavy. Senel dropped the comic on his face and let his arm fall limp over the edge of the bed.

Suddenly, Chloe Valens burst into the house through the front door. "Coolidge!"

She raced up the stairs and shook Senel. "Coolidge, get out of bed!"

Senel pulled the comic from his face. "C...Chloe? Is it a week later already?"

"Hurry!" Chloe cried. "Jay's been kidnapped by a group of assassins!"

"Jay? Little Jay?"

"That's right! The Oresoren told us! You know what we have to do, don't you?"

"We'll write a strongly-worded letter to the Legacy Times..._in the morning!_" Senel grabbed his pillow and slammed it over his face.

Chloe sighed. "Well, everyone's waiting at Madame Musette's house, but we don't know where the assassins are hiding out yet. Someone will come back for you when we learn something and decide what to do."

She went down the stairs and left the house. Senel was fast asleep by the time she left, and soon he began to snore.

----------------

Back at Madame Musette's house, the rest of the group was waiting for Chloe to come back with Senel. However, Chloe ended up coming back alone.

"Chloe, where's Senel?" Will asked.

"He's still asleep," Chloe told him. "I told him we'd be back for him after we've decided on a course of action."

"The Oresoren are looking into the assassins' location now," Will said. "They should return shortly."

The group knew that Jay was an information dealer, capable of finding out information quickly. And it was without a doubt that he obtains the information with the help of the Oresoren, who often wandered around the Legacy posing as pets. Therefore, the group had no doubt that the Oresoren would be able to locate Jay.

"What would those sneaky assassins want with JJ?" Norma asked.

"Most likely they've captured him for information," Will said. "He is famous for having more information than anyone about what's going on around the Legacy."

"But how did they figure out who he was?" Chloe asked. "I mean, Jay the Unseen is famous for having information, but Jay kept his identity secret when he went out in public."

Will stroked his chin. "That remains unknown."

"Well, this ain't happenin'!" Moses growled. "We're gonna save him, right, guys?"

"Right, Red!" Norma agreed.

"Charge!" Grune called out in her usual mellow tone.

"Not so fast, you three," Will said. "We still don't know Jay's whereabouts and well-being."

As if on cue, a random Oresoren entered the house and whispered something into Quppo's ear. Quppo turned to face the others.

"They've found Jay at the old Oresoren village!" he announced.

"Is he all right?" Shirley asked.

"He's all right for now, but it looked like the assassins were getting ready to torture him."

Chloe stood up and gripped the hilt of her sword in its sheath. "We can't let that happen! Raynard, let's go get Coolidge!"

Will nodded. "Right. Let's go, everyone."

"Hang on, little brother!" Moses yelled. "We're comin' for ya!"

"Please rescue Jay!" Poppo pleaded.

"You got it!" Norma said.

She and Grune both raised their fists into the air. "Charge!"

The group left Musette's house and headed out to pick up Senel again. They opened the front door to find Senel getting himself ready. He put on a black pirate hat with the skull and crossbones symbol on the front. He took a clothes hangar from the closet, gripping it by the hook, then he pulled out a black eyepatch from the drawer and put it over his left eye. Once he was fully dressed, Senel flipped down to the ground level, startling the group. Senel raised his chin with a determined look on his face.

"Senel, we have a lead on Jay's location," Will said. "We must hurry and rescue him."

"Fear not," Senel said. "It is I, the greatest pirate ever to sail the seven seas. I am Aifread the Pirate!"

Shirley covered her face. "Oh no, not again..."

"I must purge the vile villainy from this vessel if it's the last thing I do!" Senel continued. "And then afterwards, we'll celebrate with a bottle of rum!"

"Coolidge, what's going on?" Chloe asked.

"I've no time to chat," Senel told her. "I'm gonna cut those scallywags some new gizzards, savvy? I'll catch ya later, little missie."

Chloe's face soured. "He did not just call me 'little missie'..."

Senel pointed an index finger at Moses. "And you! Swab the deck!"

"Hold up!" Moses cried. "Why you talkin' like that for?"

"Arrrgh! It's time to set sail!" Senel dashed out of the house and down the road.

"Senel, stop!" Will cried. "What was that about?"

"I can't believe this is happening again," Shirley whined. "Not now of all times."

"What happened?" Chloe asked.

"Senel sometimes sleepwalks and thinks he's Aifread the Pirate," Shirley explained, "and then he disappears for hours."

"What? He's sleepwalking? That's not good. How often does it happen?"

"It happens whenever he doesn't get enough sleep. Whenever he can't sleep, he reads the Aifread comics."

"We need to catch him quickly!" Will declared.

"But what about JJ?" Norma asked.

"If we hurry, it shouldn't take long to catch Senel," Will told her. "Afterwards, we can go after Jay."

The group ran down the road, then spotted Senel running across the bridge that led to the field.

"Wow, he's already out of town!" Chloe exclaimed.

"Come on!" Will led the others out of town to chase after Senel.

-----------------

Jay the Unseen was thrown violently to the ground deep within the secret passageway, while the black assassins stood over him. His wrists were handcuffed in front of him, while his feet were bound in fetters. Jay coughed up some dust as a pair of brown boots stepped directly in front of him. The boy looked up, following the man's black pants and light blue top, then looked into the wrinkled face with snake-like eyes, and a long, dull blond ponytail.

"Y...you...Solon!" Jay exclaimed.

Solon flashed an evil grin. "Surprise, surprise."

"Solon...you're supposed to be-"

"Dead? Well, how sad for you that I am very much alive."

Jay paused for a brief moment. "So that's how these assassins knew who I was. They learned it from you. What do you want from me?"

"You may have failed as an assassin, but perhaps you may be useful to me as an information dealer," Solon responded.

"Wh...what?"

"Jay the Unseen, famous for having more information than anyone on the Legacy. Therefore, you must know something about the Nerifes Cannon."

Jay choked up as Solon slowly stepped around to Jay's side. The sadistic man slipped his foot under Jay's stomach and kicked him over onto his back, then knelt down beside him.

"Now, my dear apprentice..." Solon said, gently caressing Jay's forehead. "Why don't you tell me how the Nerifes Cannon works, hmm? Tell your beloved master."

Jay's eyes widened. "N...no!"

Solon promptly punched him hard in the face. "What was that? I can't hear you!"

"I said...no!"

Another vicious punch to the face. Jay rolled away onto his chest, burying his head in his hands.

Solon shook his head. "Still as pathetic as ever, aren't you? That's no surprise, seeing as how you made friends with Senel Coolidge and the rest of your little group."

Jay turned his head slightly to face his former master. "You're wrong, Solon...it's because of them that I've grown stronger. I'm no longer afraid of you. No matter what you do to me, you'll extract no information from me. So...I suppose you'll just have to kill me..."

Solon moved closer to Jay, gripping the top of his head firmly with his bony fingers. He lifted the boy up by the head, painfully arching his back, then leaned in close to his ear.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? Just take the easy way out, will you? Well, forget it, Jay! You're stuck with me!"

"You...you'll never win, Solon..." Jay spat. "My friends know that you have me, and they'll come for me."

"Of course...your friends. Well, one thing I know for certain: one way or another, you will tell me what I want to know."

So saying, Solon pulled Jay's head up a little more, then slammed it down hard into the ground. Jay let out a groan of agony, and then his body fell limp.

"Hmm?" Solon shook Jay slightly, but got no reaction. "He's unconscious."

He stood up to face the assassins. "Keep a close eye on him, and let me know when he awakens. We shall continue this chat later."

"Yes, sir!" the assassins responded in unison.

Solon walked away, leaving his former apprentice out cold on the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

-1Author's Note: Uh...I don't have much to say, except enjoy Chapter 2.

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The party ran across the field trying to catch up with the sleepwalking Senel, but they were unable to keep up with him.

"Everyone, stop!" Will called.

The party stopped, propping their hands on their knees to catch their breath.

"What's the matter, Teach?" Norma asked.

"Shirley, you said that Senel's sleepwalking happens on a regular basis, correct?"

"Well, it's happened several times before, but I wouldn't call it a regular basis," Shirley replied.

"And although he disappears for hours, he's always managed to return? Have there ever been any problems?"

"Oh no, Senel always came back safely."

"Hmm..."

"What're you thinkin', Will?" Moses asked.

"I'm thinking we should let Senel go and concentrate on rescuing Jay," Will told him.

"Are you sure about that?" Chloe asked. "What about the monsters?"

"Senel always got into fights when he sleepwalks," Shirley said. "He always came back unscathed...although we got complaints from people who were injured."

"Sounds like Senel's gonna be just fine," Moses said. "I'm all for savin' my little brother myself!"

"Then let's get going," Will said. "We're already in the middle of the field, so there's no point in taking the ducts. The secret passageway should be close enough, after we pass through the Crystal Forest."

The group nodded, but then something caught their eye. A brown egg bear came staggering towards them, unsheathing its claws. Everyone drew their weapons, ready to fight, but then the egg bear collapsed in front of them.

"What the?" Moses gasped.

"It's already been beaten," Norma pointed out.

"Looks like Senel already took care of it," Shirley said.

"Come on, hurry!" Will called.

The group began running across the field again.

--------------

Meanwhile, Senel had taken out a litter of egg bear cubs. After the cubs fell flat on their backs, Senel looked up at the sky.

"Oh Sparky!" he cried out. "Sparky, Sparky, Sparky, Sparky, Sparky! It's all my fault!"

He continued onward, entering the Crystal Forest. Three large spider creatures stood in his way. Senel merely threw some uppercuts into the air, sending three blue shockwaves along the ground, striking the monsters. When they were knocked down, Senel grabbed one of them, swung it around several times, then flung it directly into the other two spiders. Senel stood up and straightened his pirate hat.

"Understand one thing, my dire yet tragic foes," he said. "It's not you I'm after. I do this only to rescue my shipmate. If you dare to stand in my way, I will show you no mercy! No matter the obstacles, I must struggle on!"

Thus he continued down the path of Crystal Forest.

----------------

The rest of the party entered the Crystal Forest, following the trail of beaten monsters. Eventually, they came across the three fallen spider creatures where they stopped again.

"Did Coolidge take these monsters out, too?" Chloe asked.

"Most likely," Will said. "I don't think anyone else could do it like this. But then again..."

"Come on, Senel!" Moses yelled out of nowhere. "Quit hoggin' all the fun! We want some, too!"

"Could it be a coincidence that Senel headed this way in his sleep?" Will wondered. "Or is he truly heading towards the secret passageway?"

Grune clasped her hands together. "Oh my. Senel is going to rescue Jay in his sleep. Isn't that cute?"

Chloe gave her an odd look. "That's..."

"Come on, G-Girl, of all the silly ideas..." Norma said.

"Hell no!" Moses growled. "Ain't no way Senel is gonna rescue Jay in his sleep!"

"If Senel really is headed for the secret passageway, this could turn out for the best," Will said. "That way we can accomplish both of our goals."

"Indeed," Chloe agreed.

Shirley lowered her head and prayed. "Please be careful, Senel."

The group moved deeper into the Crystal Forest...but it wasn't long before something else stood in their way.

Chloe drew her sword. "Look out, something's coming!"

Everyone prepared for battle once again as a black assassin stepped into view. They immediately noticed that he walked sluggishly with uneven steps.

"Stupid...Alliance Marine..." he muttered, his voice strained. "Getting in our way...ruining everything..."

"Ah ha!" Moses exclaimed. "That must be one of the guys who kidnapped Jay!"

He ran over to the ninja, seizing him roughly by the lapel. "What did you do to our friend? Answer us peacefully, and we might just let you live!"

"Moses, stop!" Will called. "There's no use interrogating them!"

"Why not?"

"You remember what Jay told us about ninjas. They won't hesitate to sacrifice their lives to complete their mission. These ninjas would sooner die than tell us anything. Besides, we already know where Jay is being held."

"Oh." Moses let go of th eninja, who fell into a heap on the ground. "Well, I don't want Senel hoggin' all the action!"

"That's not important right now," Will told him. "We need to find Senel and Jay before something happens to them."

Chloe took a closer look at the ninja. "His sword is missing."

"Senel probably took it," Shirley said.

"Hold up!" Moses said. "Can Senel actually use a sword?"

"I've never seen him use one...but it's very common for pirates to use them."

"If Coolidge doesn't have the skill, he can get seriously hurt," Chloe said. "We have to find him."

The group nodded, then continued on through the Crystal Forest.

-------------

After passing through the Crystal Forest, Senel arrived at the entrance to the secret passageway. However, there were two assassins standing guard at either side of the entrance. Senel approached the entrance anyway, and the ninjas instantly stepped in front of him.

"Halt! This area is off limits!"

Senel raised an eye. "Off limits? Hmm...this must be where Sparky is being kept. Or perhaps this is where the rum is produced."

The ninjas glanced at each other.

"So gentlemen, what say we sit down and have ourselves a bottle of rum?" Senel suggested.

"There's no rum down here," the first ninja said.

"Nor do we know of 'Sparky'," the second ninja added. "The only prisoner we have is Jay the Unseen."

"Jay the Unseen?" Senel pondered for a moment. "Nope, never heard of him."

"Regardless, we will not let you pass."

Senel raised his chin and pulled out a pistol. "I am Aifread the Pirate, mates. Fear my pistol."

The ninja pulled out his katana and sliced the pistol cleanly in half. Senel watched as the two pieces fell to the ground, leaving only his finger aiming at the ninjas.

"So that's how it's going to be?" he asked. "Very well!"

He pulled out a katana that he had stolen from a previous assassin. "It's swashbucklin' time!"

The ninjas rushed at Senel, both attempting an overhead strike. Senel blocked both attacks with his sword. He then slipped past the ninjas, then slashed at their waists. Their belts were severed, and their pants fell down to their feet. The ninjas quickly dropped their weapons to pull their pants back up.

"I grant no mercy to those who oppose me, maties!" Senel declared.

The ninjas staggered away, whimpering and holding their pants up.

"All right..." Senel turned his attention to the secret passageway entrance. "Let's dig up some rum."

He placed his hand on the wall, using his eres to open the seal.

"Evil-doers, prepare for your punishment!" he yelled. "Aifread's on the case!"

He entered the secret passageway and began running down the steps.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Here comes Chapter 3. Enjoy as usual.

Some time later, the rest of the party arrived at the secret passageway entrance. The two ninjas had returned to stand guard, but they were still having trouble with their pants.

"Ahh! Stay away!" they pleaded.

"What the hell?" Moses exclaimed.

"What happened here?" Chloe asked. "Did Coolidge do this, too?"

"It was Aifread!" the ninja cried. "Aifread the Pirate!"

The party members glanced at each other. "It was Senel," they said in unison.

"Let's get moving," Will said. "It doesn't look like these ninjas are interested in stopping us."

The group used their eres to open the entrance, then entered the passageway.

Jay regained consciousness once again. He found himself lying on his back and tied to some train tracks. Before he could fully regain his senses, he felt a heavy blow to his stomach.

"Argh!" Jay arched in pain. When he fell limp again, he saw Solon standing condescendingly over him.

"Looks like you're finally awake," he said.

"S...Solon..." Jay muttered. "Let me go!"

Solon nonchalantly stomped down on Jay's stomach again, knocking the wind out of him. Solon knelt down beside the boy, caressing his forehead as he waited for him to catch his breath.

"You and I still have unfinished business." Solon stood up again. "I'm still waiting for the information on the Nerifes Cannon. So just tell me how it works, hmm? That's all. It's really not that much to ask, is it? Just give me that little bit of information, and I'll let you go."

"I won't do it..." Jay said softly, fighting tears. He then screamed out, "I won't do it!"

"No?" Solon unsheathed his sword and thrust it into the ground, just a mere inch next to Jay's face.

Jay squirmed in response to the sword. "I...I won't do it..."

Solon slowly knelt down beside him again, wiping the tears from his face with his fingers. "What's this? Tears?" He threw an open-handed slap to Jay's face. "You know I can't stand such a pitiful sight!"

Jay gave him an icy look through his tears. Solon had always beaten him when he was younger, but this was the first time he had been beaten while restrained. However, Jay was stronger now. He would not give in. Right now, his friends were on their way to rescue him. He was sure of it.

Solon stood up once again. "It's all right, Jay. You don't have to tell me right away if you don't want to." He waved his sword slowly over Jay's body. "In that case, I'll just carve the information out of you little by little. Oh, how I'll savor every drop of blood that you shed..."

"So...so you are planning to kill me..."

"Oh, rest assured, I've no intention of killing you. You have no idea what I have in store for you, do you?" Solon raised his sword and examined the shining blade, then held it down to Jay's throat. Slowly he drag the sword across Jay's throat, just lightly enough to avoid cutting. "Such pain...such pleasure. My little apprentice, crying out in pain. I'm getting excited just thinking about it."

Jay squirmed, trying to loosen the ropes that bound him to the train tracks, but he was still tightly restrained. All the while, he never took his eyes off the blade hovered back and forth over him.

"So tell me, Jay," Solon continued. "Where? Where do you want me to cut you?"

"Ahh!" Jay screamed as he jerked against his restraints. "S...stop!"

Solon paused. "So you're ready to tell me about the Nerifes Cannon then?"

"N-no!"

Solon kicked him in the face. "You're beginning to try my patience! Do you know what time it is?"

"It's swashbucklin' time!" a voice yelled from the shadows.

Both Solon and Jay looked in the direction from which the voice came. Out came Senel Coolidge, still wearing his pirate gear.

"S...Senel?" Jay asked.

Solon stepped away from his captive and stood in front of Senel. "Well, if it isn't Senel Coolidge."

Senel shook his head. "You must have me mistaken for someone else, mate. I am the one, the only, Aifread the Pirate!"

Solon raised an eye, but then shook his head. "Well, it matters not. You just had to come here and interrupt my reunion with my apprentice."

Senel drew his sword, putting it to Solon's throat. "Now, release Sparky!"

Jay looked up as much as he could. "Who's Sparky?"

Solon shot him a quick glance. "I think that's you, kid."

"What? What the hell is going on?"

Solon parried Senel's sword with his own blade. Senel quickly rolled over to Jay and sliced through the ropes that bound him to the train tracks. Jay quickly rolled backwards to his feet.

"Stand back, Sparky!" Senel warned. "This is not your battle!"

Jay's eyes widened. "Pl...please don't call me Sparky! That's the kind of name that might stick!"

"Haaa!" Solon yelled as he lunged at Senel.

Jay stepped back as the two of them began crossing blades. _What is going on with Senel? Why is he dressed like that? Why is he pretending to be Aifread the Pirate, and why is he calling me Sparky? And where are the others?_

-------------------

Later...

By now, the rest of the party was getting exhausted, and their progress in the secret passageway was being slowed down. It took them quite a while to reach the area with the train tracks. Moses looked around.

"Look, there are footprints all over the place!" he called.

Will stepped forward to examine the footprints. "There was definitely a struggle here."

Norma spotted the severed ropes by the train tracks. "Look, there's some rope here. This must be where JJ was tied up."

"Does that mean that Coolidge has already rescued Jay?" Chloe asked.

Moses stomped his foot. "No way! We were supposed to rescue him together!"

"If that's the case, they must be headed back to town," Will said. "They probably went all the way through to the other exit. Let's follow them."

The expedition through the passageway was uneventful. There was no sign of anyone; no ninja, no monsters, no Senel or Jay. The party reached the surface on the mountain path, and found that the sun had already set for the day.

"Ugh...why did we just go through all of this?" Chloe asked. "There was no sign of the assassins at all."

"I don't care about the assassins," Norma said. "Where are Senny and JJ?"

"Let's call it a day," Will told them. "If they still haven't returned, we'll search for them again in the morning."

The group nodded, then headed down the mountain path back to Werites Beacon. As they were crossing the bridge, they found Curtis and Isabella running up to them.

"Will, good timing!" Isabella said. "Her Excellency wishes to see you all at her house."

Will nodded. "Understood. We were unable to find Senel and Jay, though..."

"Senel and Jay are waiting there as well," Curtis said.

"Senel made it back safely?" Shirley asked. "Thank goodness!"

The party ran all the way to Musette's house. They burst inside to find Musette at the table having tea with Senel and Jay.

"Welcome, everyone," Musette said. "Won't you join us for some tea?"

"At this hour?" Will asked.

"Don't worry, it's decaffeinated."

"It's too bad I didn't find a single drop of rum," Senel said. "Don't you think so, Sparky?"

"I told you to stop calling me that!" Jay snapped.

"Jay!" Moses ran over to him and took him into a tight bear hug. "You're safe!"

"Yes...no thanks to you, you stupid bandit," Jay groaned. "Let go of me..."

Moses released him, and Jay fell to the floor.

"What happened to the assassins?" Chloe asked.

"They retreated. We can expect to see them again," Jay told her. He then clenched his fist. "Solon..."

"Well, I guess all's well that ends well," Moses said. "Good work, Senel!"

He gave Senel a hearty pat on the back, knocking him to the floor. Senel picked himself up, pulling off his hat and eyepatch.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Where am I?"

He stood up to see the rest of the party. "Oh good, you're all here. So, when do we rescue Jay?"

"The next time I'm captured," Jay responded from behind.

Senel looked back at him. "Jay?"

"Well, it looks like someone's finally awake," Chloe pointed out.

Shirley glared at him. "Senel?"

"Shirley?" Senel looked down at the pirate hat and eyepatch, and finally realized what had happened. "Oh no...was I sleepwalking again?"

"Hold on a moment," Jay said. "Do you mean to tell me that Senel rescued me single-handedly..._in his sleep?_"

"Well, kinda..." Shirley said.

"I see." Jay folded his arms.

Senel turned to face him. "Jay, I...I'm glad you're okay."

Jay narrowed his eyes. "So that's why you kept calling me Sparky."

"Did I do that?"

"Grr!" Jay raised his arm and bonked Senel on the head. He then turned and left the house, slamming the door behind him.

Moses approached Senel next. "You hogged all the action, and we didn't get to do anything!"

He bonked Senel on the head, then left the house, also slamming the door.

Will approached Senel now and bonked him on the head. "We sure went to a lot of trouble for nothing." He followed the others out of the house.

Norma approached Senel. "Senny, you're never awake when we need you!" She bonked Senel on the head and stormed out of the house.

"Ow! I get the message already!" Senel cried.

Chloe went over to Senel next. "Despicable!" She bonked Senel on the head and left the house.

Shirley approached Senel. "Senel, you had us all worried about you! Do you understand that?"

"Shirley, I'm sorry!" Senel whined.

Shirley bonked him on the head, then stormed out of the house.

The only party member left was Grune. She approached Senel with her usual sweet smile.

"Oh my, everyone's taking turns," she gushed. "It must be a really fun game."

_How can she possibly think that this is a game?_ Senel wondered.

"Maybe I should play, too." Grune gave him a bonk on the head as well. "See you in the morning, Senel." She turned and left the house.

Senel rubbed his head. "Ow...Grune, not you, too! Madame Musette..."

"They seem to be very displeased," Musette said. "But don't worry, Senel. I'm sure they'll be in a better mood in the morning."

Senel hung his head. "I hope so..."

Finally, he turned and left the house, quietly closing the door.

-----------------

**Senel received the title of Sleepwalker!**

**Jay received the title of Sparky!**

**The End**


End file.
